Detective First, Woman Second
by alwaysbrennan
Summary: Prequel to "Quite A Scare". There is something wrong with Detective Beckett-Castle. She won't admit it and no one can pin point it. Future Caskett fluff & angst.
1. Chapter 1

**Here is the prequel, I guess, to 'Quite a Scare'. If you read it, cool, you know what's going to come next. If not, I would start here, that way you will be surprised! Or maybe not.**

**This is a set up chapter, there will be more exciting stuff to come soon!**

**I do not own Castle!**

**ooOOoo**

Detective Kate Beckett always considered herself a morning person. She was always the first detective on scene, usually even before the medical examiner arrived. Things changed once she married her shadow Richard Castle and became Mrs. Kate Castle. Rick loved to keep her up late a night. He would beg her to watch a movie, go out for a late supper, or her personal favorite, spending the night in bed making love. Staying up late always meant sleeping in a little bit longer that necessary. Rick made sure of that. She didn't mind that extra time alone with her husband. It made her feel special and loved as he curled up behind her and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. What she did mind though was showing up last at a crime scene. Maybe not last, but definitely not first.

So when her alarm clock went off for the third time this particular morning and she was not willingly making an effort to get up, she realized something must be wrong.

Rick did not keep her up late last night. A case had that honor; one that just didn't want to get solved. There were too many suspects and not enough evidence. Her and the team had been at it day after grueling day.

Kate went through a 'body checklist' in her head, she noted that nothing was hurting. She's not sick. Then, mentally she counted the days and it clicked. It was about that time of the month. The time of the month where her hormones went crazy and she was likely to bite someone's head off. Every month was the same, down to not wanting to get out of bed for the entire week.

Apparently another five minutes had gone by because her alarm clock went off again. Finally, she decided to turn it completely off.

"Rick?" She called softly, trying to not disturb him if he was still asleep.

When there was no response she rolled over to face him. She loved to watch him sleep. He always looked so peaceful and innocent… he liked to say the same about her. But he wasn't sleeping… he wasn't even in the bed! Rick Castle was awake before she was. Groaning, she flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

Inspiration liked to hit him at odd hours of the day. He was probably in his study writing up a storm.

No sooner than she thought that there was a rather loud bang and a muffled 'shit' coming from downstairs.

Kate shoved the blanket off of her and shuffled downstairs to investigate. What she saw was an amusing sight. A crooked smile formed on her face.

Rick was on his hands and knees tending to the dropped fry pan. Bacon was splattered everywhere along with the grease. He managed to grab a wash cloth and a trash can, but figuring out the fastest way to clean up the mess was escaping him. So when he went to pick up the bacon strips with his bare hands Kate couldn't help but laugh.

"Hot, hot, hot. That's hot!" He mumbled to himself. Her laughing of course alerted him to her presence. "Well, good morning to you too, sleepyhead."

"Ugh, this is not a good morning," she said while walking towards him; avoiding the mess on the floor as much as she could. "What are you doing up so early?" She gave him a quick peck on the lips and went to sit down at the bar.

"I thought I would make my exhausted wife breakfast in bed, but it seems I didn't quite make it in time."

"Well I can still eat it down here, can't I? What did you make?" She asked.

"There _was _bacon. I have toast, pancakes…"

All of a sudden, Kate got a whiff of, "Eggs." She paled slightly, her stomach churning.

He looked surprised, "Yep!" He didn't notice the effect the smell was having on Kate. He bent down to keep cleaning until he heard the scrape of metal against the hardwood from Kate's barstool. Standing up, he asks, "Where are you going? I thought you wanted to eat." When he sees her walking towards the stairs pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers he becomes concerned. "Kate, are you alright?"

"Yeah, Castle I'm fine." She doesn't mean it though. Her stomach churns again and she's not sure if she will throw up or not. "I'm already running late for work, so I thought I'd skip breakfast and go get ready," she says quickly, trying to escape the smell as fast as possible.

"Why?" Castle looked disappointed.

"I'm not that hungry and I don't want to be late."

"But you just said not two minutes ago that you would eat!" He follows her to the staircase and halts her movement.

"I know, it's just the smell, and, and I'm not in the mood to eat right now."

"Kate you need to eat something. You skipped lunch and dinner yesterday because of the case. You've got to eat, you'll starve." He knew full well that she wouldn't starve. And he's not that worried, she does tend to skip meals often, but what he is concerned about is the way she won't meet his eyes and her skin looks all clammy.

"Fine," she surrenders, "just get me a granola bar. I will eat it as I get ready," she snaps at him.

He grabs two.

They meet up again in the bathroom, both of them finding conversation awkward. That is until Rick spots the granola bar sitting on the counter with only one bite taken out of it. She doesn't notice and starts to leave the room. He holds up the bar so she can see it in the mirror.

"You didn't finish this," he states.

"I'm not a child, Rick. I can eat or not eat whatever I want." Her voice starts to elevate. "Why are you so adamant that I eat something?"

"Maybe because I care about you and your health!" He turns around to address her.

They now stand face to face, toe to toe.

"My health," she scoffs.

"You have been going nonstop for days, not taking anytime to take a break, relax, eat, spend time with me or Alexis"

"Don't bring Alexis into this!"

"I'm not. I'm just saying you need to slow down and take care of yourself. Starting with eating right." He hands her the granola bar.

She immediately throws the bar back down to the counter. "I told you, Rick. I'm fine! So drop it already!"

Just then her cell phone rings. It's Esposito, they have yet another case to add to the pile. She is wanted at the precinct pronto. Kate hangs up the phone and sits on the edge of their bed, pulling on her boots.

She yells to Castle, who is still inside the bathroom. "I've got to go in. There is another case." She pauses, not knowing what to say. "I guess I will see you there."

He watches her leave, but doesn't say anything. It's not like her to get that snappy at him, so he decides to play it safe and stay silent. He looks at himself in the mirror and then down to the barely eaten granola bar. He takes a bite.

"I don't see how hard that was," he says to himself.

**ooOOoo**

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks everyone for the story alerts, but seriously… not one review? I'm hurt. I hope this chapter peaks your interest enough to review. **

**All mistakes are mine.**

**Again, I do not own Castle.**

**ooOOoo**

When Rick finally caught up with Kate an hour later she was still at the crime scene. She did a double take when she saw him approaching. He should have gotten the hint that 'I'll see you there' was code for 'I don't want to see you until much later in the day'. How he knew where the crime scene was also baffled her. She turned and glared at Ryan and Esposito. They both just shrugged their shoulders and went back to work.

The thing that annoyed her the most was Castle's complete silence. He hadn't said a word to her. Instead he stood by her side and observed. Even the car ride to the precinct was silent and Kate was not about to be the one that broke it.

A couple hours later, Rick found himself sitting at Kate's desk with a cooling cup of coffee and a box of Junior Mints. He squished one between his fingers while watching the madness ensue before him. Every detective on this floor was working to solve this case and fast. It didn't help that the victim was a New York senator.

Kate was busy in meetings with the Captain and the press all morning. Castle figured it was best to stay out of the way on this one. He stayed only for moral support. Kate was going to come around eventually and he wanted to be there when her walls crumbled down.

Right now she was in her third interrogation of the day… and it was only 12:30pm. He stepped into the observation room to check on the progress. Lunch was going to be a big priority today and he didn't want her to miss it. He watched through the glass as Kate continued to ruff up the suspect. Her voice was stern and her face was determined, but underneath Rick could tell she was wavering and needed a break.

Fifteen minutes later he decided to do something about it. He couldn't just watch as she paused and collected herself more often then not. With his mind made up he made his way into the interrogation room.

"Detective Beckett? There is something you need to see," Rick lied.

Kate nodded in response. She turned back to the suspect and with a quick warning she collected her folder and left the room.

As the door closed, she turned to Rick, "What's so important that you had to drag me out here?"

"You."

"Rick, I've told you multiple times before. You cannot interrupt my interrogation for a quickie," she hissed. "Plus, this is the first time we've talked since our fight this morning. Now is _not _the time."

"That's not it."

Rick pulled her into the observation room and quickly shut the door. Kate went to watch the suspect through the glass, her back to Rick.

"Really?" Kate laughed, "Then what is it?"

"You know exactly what it is," he countered.

Kate spun around fast, trying to get in his face and take control of the conversation. Instead, she found herself grasping for something to keep her balance. Rick automatically jumped into help her.

"See? This is what I am talking about. You started this morning. Falling off balance, collecting breaths, resting your eyes for unusual amounts of time. Don't think I haven't noticed." He stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her cheek.

"I'm just tired," she said as she took a step back, immediately regretting it.

"Then you need to rest and eat something."

"I'm fine."

He shook his head, "No you're not. I'm taking you home."

"I have an interrogation to finish. It's kind of important, or haven't you heard? We have a dead senator in our morgue. We can go home once I break him and solve this damn case." She headed towards the door, not intending to back down.

He stopped her at the door. "Kate."

"No, Rick. I have to do this. I _can _do this. I am fine," she said, punctuating each word.

"At least let me sit in with you."

The look he gave her made her concede. Together they walked into the interrogation room.

The interrogation started well, for the most part. Midway through, Rick sensed Kate losing her train of thought from time to time. Luckily he knew the suspect's background and the case file well enough that he could jump in when needed. The idiot didn't seem to notice. The third time it happened something changed in the man's eyes. Like he figured out he had the upper hand.

Then as if on cue, Kate stood up quickly to react to his blatant lie, but fell right back down. She covered her eyes with both hands.

"What's with her, dude? This is like the 4th time she's done that. Something's up. You think she is hallucinating? I do. I think she is making all this shit up. I want to leave! You have nothing to keep me here. A jury is never going to listen to a sick detective!" The suspect yelled, making Rick and Kate angry.

By the time he was finished, Kate had recuperated enough to yell back.

"You wanna know who's sick, Jason?" She stood and pushed the table at him. "This sick son-of-a-bitch who murdered a senator, and I think that sob is you."

Rick watched in interest as she walked around to Jason's side of the table, words flying out of her mouth with fury.

"I have three people placing you at the scene of the crime last night. A gun registered to you that is the same caliber that was used to kill the victim. A nasty email with digital fingerprints that are all linked back to you. So from where I stand, you did it. You shot Senator Lorie Malcolm in the back of the head and again in the heart," she rattled off. "Oh, and you don't have a solid alibi. So who do you think the jury is going to listen to?"

Kate went on and on, shouting at Jason like there was no tomorrow. Rick just hoped she could keep it up long enough. He could see the sweat breaking out on her temple. This could end badly if she doesn't hold it together.

They both knew he was going to crack.

Sure enough, not five minutes later did he confess to having a secret affair with Lorie. She broke his heart so he killed her.

Kate cuffed him and brought him to the guard outside. "Have Ryan and Esposito book him. Let them know I will be out in a minute."

With Jason gone, Castle and Beckett were the only two in the room. Kate walked back to the table for her notes. Castle followed right behind her. When she turned around he pulled her into a hug, not caring about any of their fights.

"Are you okay?"

Kate relaxed a little. "I'm fine, Castle."

As if the stress of the day just hit her, she felt lightheaded again. It felt just like the morning, but worse. She closed her eyes and let out a small whimper.

"Are you sure?"

Kate didn't respond. Castle started to worry.

"Kate?" He shook her by the arms.

Castle was nervous. Could she not hear him? What the hell was going on?

Finally Kate responded, "You're right… we should, uh, go home… I don't fee—"

Kate's eyes closed and her head lolled back. She started falling.

"Kate! Kate!" Rick caught her, but was unable to keep her upright. They both landed on the floor. Kate, unconscious in Rick's lap.

"Come on, Kate please." Rick begged. Then looking up at the door he screamed, "Someone help! We need an ambulance!"

He kept yelling, trying to get anyone's attention. "Ryan, Esposito! Someone please help me!

"Kate, listen to me. I need you to open your eyes. Can you hear me? Wake up, Kate wake up! Come on, just wake up and tell me everything is going to be okay. You're fine, just like you said this morning!

"I need help in here! Can't anyone hear me? Ryan, Esposito, Captain, any—"

The door burst open. All three came rushing in. They saw Rick holding Kate, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"What happened?" Ryan found his voice first.

"Oh my God, Beckett," Epsosito whispered.

Castle just rocked Kate in his arms. He occasionally kissed her forehead and murmured into her ear.

The captain stepped in, "Castle, what happened?"

"Kate, she—she was talking… and now... She just fainted. I— I don't know what happened!"

"Ryan, call an ambulance. Esposito, check her." The captain delegated.

**ooOOoo**

**TBC… **

**Uh oh, cliffhanger! Who wants more?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is another chapter for all my wonderful readers! Thanks for the response from last chapter. You guys are awesome! It definitely made me want to update faster. It sucks when there is a cliffhanger, doesn't it? **

**This - and the rest of the chapters – is highly dramatized. So forgive me if anything is too farfetched. It's just how my mind works.**

**And as always, Castle is not mine.**

**ooOOoo**

_Previously:_

"_Ryan, call an ambulance. Esposito, check her." The captain delegated._

Ryan pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. He left the room trying to find a quiet place to talk. Esposito immediately kneeled down in front of Kate. The little medical training that he had was finally coming in handy. He wished Lanie hadn't taken the day off today though.

Even though he knew, he first checked to see if she was still breathing. She was. Castle would have been freaking out if she wasn't. After, he checked her pulse. It was low and hard to pick up at first, but steady nonetheless. The third thing he checked was her temperature. Nothing definitive was going to come of this since they had no thermometer, but checking with the back of his hand would yield a good guess. His lips to her forehead would be better, but somehow he didn't think Castle would like that very much. The moment his hand came in contact her skin he knew she was way warmer than normal, hot even.

During Esposito's examination, Rick would not let go of Kate's body. He kept chanting, "Come on, Kate wake up," over and over into her ear.

Ryan ran in a couple minutes later. Everyone was pretty much in the same position from when he left. Except Esposito was pacing the floor and the Captain was trying to get everyone back to work. There were other detectives and uniforms crowding around outside the window, all concerned for Kate who was still unconscious.

"Ambulance is on the way. Should be here soon," Ryan relayed. "How is she?"

"Unconscious, low heart rate, and I'm pretty sure a fever. We need that ambulance, now!" Esposito answered.

Rick looked up from Kate's pale face, "Why can't we just take her? Wouldn't it be faster?"

"No, Castle. I'm sorry, we have to wait. We won't be able to help her if something happens on the way to the hospital," Montgomery answered, laying a hand on Castle's shoulder trying to show his deep sympathy. "It will be okay, the ambulance will be here any second. They will take care of her."

Right on cue, the paramedics could be heard exiting the elevator and walking into the interrogation room. There were two men carrying a safety board and medical supplies. A woman followed behind them getting her stethoscope from around her neck. They immediately rushed over to Kate.

Ryan began to talk, "Detective Kate Beckett-Castle, 32, fainted right after an interrogation. No injuries on her way down. Still breathing, low pulse, we suspect a fever. Richard Castle," he gestured with his hand, "her husband, says she hasn't been feeling well the past couple of days, but wouldn't admit to it. That's all we know."

The female paramedic nodded and inspected Kate herself. After checking her heart rate, she held up a mini flashlight and started to wave it in front of Kate's eyes which she held open with her other hand. "Detective Castle, I'm Amanda, I'm here to help you. Can you hear me?"

Kate didn't respond.

Castle started to become agitated. "We already told you, she's unconscious!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Castle, but we have to do our own examination. Trust me, she is in good hands," Amanda promised.

Amanda asked a couple more questions while going over Kate's vitals. "She's got a fever of 102.7 and I'm guessing she is very dehydrated. We need to get her to the hospital. When is the last time she ate or drank anything?"

Just as Castle was about to answer, Kate weakly twitched in his arms. "Kate! Sweetheart, open your eyes if you can hear me," Castle all but yelled.

Everyone in and outside the room stilled. Kate mumbled incoherently. Amanda leaned over in front of her face and spoke clearly, "Detective Castle, you are alright, but I need you to open your eyes."

"Castle," Kate mumbled.

Rick straightened up at the sound of his name and brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face. "I'm right here, Kate. Please, just open your eyes for me. Do it for me."

"Castle," Kate mumbled again. After a few seconds, her eyes finally blinked open. She noticeably flinched when she saw a crowd of people hovering around her. "Wha— what's going on… who?" She looked around in shock.

Kate started to sit up and removed Castle's arms from around her waist. When she started to stand everyone jumped into action.

"Detective Castle, Kate, I need you to stay down. Please stay still. We are here to help you," Amanda attempted to subdue the obviously disoriented detective.

Kate disobeyed orders and fought to get out of Castle's grasp. "I'm fine. I don't need an ambulance." She was now completely on her feet.

Castle and the paramedics followed, not far behind. No one could convince her to lie back down.

The captain spoke up, "Beckett, you are not okay. I'm ordering you to listen to the paramedics!"

"Sir, I'm fine. I just got lightheaded. That's all."

While she was distracted by Captain Montgomery, one of the male paramedics snuck up and grabbed her from behind, trying to immobilize her. Noticing instantly, Kate used her defensive skills and escaped from his arms with force. When she was free she backed up into a corner and almost keeled over. Her chest expanding rapidly from the exertion.

Castle whistled loudly gaining everyone's attention. He approached Kate slowly.

"Kate, please, just calm down. Everyone is here to help you. Let them. Just come 'ere," he smiled and held open his arms in invitation.

Hesitantly, she walked towards him; eyes weary and sweat beading on her forehead. "Rick, believe me. I'm fine." She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Not this time."

She jolted away from him.

"I'm perfectly fine!" Kate raised her voice. "I don't need these people poking and prodding me! Or people staring!" she pointed at the window. "I just want everyone to go away and—and—"

Amanda stepped up to Kate and subsequently Castle. "Kate, can you tell me what is happening?"

Castle pulled her close again when he noticed her eyes drooping and her breath shallow and uneven. "Honey, come on."

Suddenly she slumped forward into Castle's chest. He held on tight not wanting to drop her.

Everyone went back to being in hysterics.

"Let's get her to the ambulance! Now!"

**ooOOoo**

**TBC…**

**Oh, no! Not another cliffhanger :(**

**Reviews are love!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Once again, thanks for the feedback!**

**I don't quite like how this chapter ended up, but you guys will have to be the judge. I haven't really edited it. I'm kind of in a hurry, you see, this great show is on tonight. Maybe you've heard of it? It's called Castle! And no, I don't own it.**

**ooOOoo**

The ambulance ride was no picnic. Rick was uneasy the whole ride. He sat on the edge of his seat clasping Kate's hand between both of his. She hadn't moved or made a sound since the fiasco in the interrogation room. This both worried and reassured him. If she stayed unconscious, he thought nothing could get any worse. If she woke up, there was a chance she would have another outburst or acquire another symptom. He couldn't handle the latter.

Unfortunately, the latter is what he got.

Kate bolted upright, as much as she could being strapped down to the stretcher. Her eyes frantically searched the ambulance, settling on Rick.

When her eyes met his, the look in her eyes reminded him of their first year of marriage.

_It was Valentine's day. Kate woke up at 4am, sweating and searching the room for something. Rick felt the movement and immediately tried to help her, but he didn't know what was wrong. She had never gotten seriously sick during their relationship. _

_Her eyes were wide open almost pleading. When she started dry heaving he got the message and ran to the bathroom for a trashcan. It was too late though. She had already thrown up on the hardwood floor beside the bed._

_Food poisoning. _

_She threw up the entire day and Castle quickly learned what each look in her eyes meant._

_Kate felt bad for ruining their special day, but Castle didn't mind. He dedicated himself to making her feel better._

While the paramedics tried to get her back down – and failing – Castle searched the area.

"I need a bucket or trashcan, now!"

Grabbing whatever he could find, he held it up to Kate. Without delay Kate threw up, several times, barely having time to take a breath. Rick just sat there holding her hair and rubbing her back, whispering words of comfort. Not that any of it would help much.

There wasn't much anyone could do for her until they got to the hospital except keep her stable.

Kate threw up until there was nothing left and kept heaving after that. Losing oxygen quickly the paramedics placed an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth to prevent her from hyperventilating.

Kate tried to keep her eyes trained on Rick's, but it was getting harder and harder by the second. Soon she felt the darkness take over once again.

They reached the hospital not long after that. Rick was shoved out of the way and forgotten once the doors opened.

"Kate Beckett-Castle, 32, brought in from the 12th precinct. Unconscious upon arrival. 102.7 temp. and dehydrated. Woke up twice, first time resistant, second vomiting. Unconscious now due to lack of oxygen," relayed Amanda to the new doctor.

"Alright, take her back to emergency. We will see what's happening."

"Wait, what about me? I'm her husband," Castle shouted.

"We will keep you updated. Right now I have to take care of your wife."

Back in the emergency room the nurses moved Kate from the stretcher to the bed. They hooked her up to various machines and waited for further instruction.

In the midst of this, Kate woke up, yet again.

The nurses tried to keep her down while she struggled to find out where her husband went.

"Mrs. Castle, you need to calm down."

"Where is my husband? I want him here!"

"I'm sorry, but that's against hospital policy. Once we—"

"No! Get my husband!" Kate demanded. "Rick! Rick! Please, let me go!"

"No, you're not. You need to lie still, we need to examine you."

Kate continued to struggle against the three nurses. "Rick! I need my—"

Just then Kate was hit with the most intense abdominal pain. "Ahhhhh…" Speech after that was limited, the pain was blinding. "Castle," she whimpered.

"Mrs. Castle, where does it hurt?" The doctor asked.

Another sharp pain hit her and she tried to curl into the fetal position.

"Okay, how about I ask and you nod your head yes or no?" Kate nodded her head up and down. "Chest?" No. "Head?" No. "Stomach?" Yes.

"MMMmmm," was Kate's only response.

The doctor stood at the foot of her bed, contemplating. _Dizziness, fainting, fever, vomiting, abdominal pain… _"Jessica, get me Dr. Lawson, stat!"

**ooOOoo**

**TBC…**

**Don't worry your little heads! There is another chapter right after. That does not mean that you can skip out on a review though! I know, I'm becoming one of those crazy people who beg for reviews :/**

**BTW Castle was terrific!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Two chapters at the same time? Oh, I am so good to you guys. I hope you are still interested in my overly exaggerated story :) Precursor: I have never been in this situation and I am not a medical student. I have done some research, but if something is wrong please don't shoot me!**

**And alas, there is no cliffhanger!**

**Castle = not mine**

**ooOOoo**

_Previously:_

"_Jessica, get me Dr. Lawson, stat!"_

Rick paced the waiting room not knowing what the hell was going on. He swore he heard his name through the walls once or twice. He needed to know what was happening. He needed to find out if Kate was alright. The nurses' desk wasn't too far, they would have answers.

Back in the room Kate started to fade, the only sounds out of her mouth were moans and Castle's name.

"Mrs. Castle, I need you to hang in there, alright? Stay with me," one nurse soothed.

Another nurse on the opposite side of the bed stood by to gauge Kate's pain and administer comfort. After hearing her pleas for her husband, the nurse decided it would be a good idea if he were here, helping.

Kate's moans continued and her breathing was labored even with the oxygen mask. The other nurses and doctors scattered around documenting, checking, and testing. They waited for Dr. Lawson to arrive.

Rick stood at the desk asking anyone he could find to tell him news about his wife. Just when he started questioning another nurse the ER doors opened and a woman in scrubs walked out.

"Rick Castle? Husband of Kate Castle?" She called.

Rick rushed over, "Yeah, that's me. What's going on? No one is telling me anything! Did something happen? Is something wrong with Kate?"

"She has been asking for you."

"She's awake?" He asked enthusiastically.

"For now, but she is in a lot of pain. We need you to help her stay calm. Please, follow me."

They walked swiftly down the hall to exam room 2. Rick stood motionless for a second, not knowing what would happen behind those doors. The nurse paused at the door and looked back at him expectantly. He nodded his head and took a deep breath. The door opened showing a handful of doctors and nurses running around. In the midst of them laid Kate Beckett-Castle, his wife, his ailing wife. She was curled up on her side on the bed facing him. Sweat was beading down her face and her eyes half lidded giving away her current state.

Rick stood in the doorway taking everything in. He stared at Kate; a sad look adorned his face.

The cloud of pain that Kate was in lifted, however briefly. She gathered her strength to look at the man in the doorway. A faint smile bloomed as she realized who it was.

A tear slid down her cheek. She stretched out her arm.

Rick ran to her side, but just as he did she flinched in pain. A loud cry left her mouth, her eyes widened and then quickly shut. Her body went limp.

"Kate? What's happening?" Castle cried.

Just then the door opened and a tall, dark haired woman walked in.

"I'm Dr. Lawson. Someone paged."

"Yes, I did. Dr. Alexander," he shook her hand, "The patient is Kate Castle. She has been experiencing dizziness, fainting spells, fever, vomiting, and most recently abdominal pain. I believe she is in the beginning stage of a miscarriage."

When Castle heard this he freaked. "A miscarriage? She isn't pregnant! She would have told me. No, this can't be happening. You are wrong."

"Sir, I need you to calm down," Dr. Lawson spoke up. "She may not have known herself. Let's see what we have and see if we can stop it before it's too late."

Castle grabbed the closest chair and took a seat next to Kate's head grabbing her hand for good measure.

"I need her out of these clothes. Someone please find a portable ultrasound machine."

Everyone did as they were told and soon Kate was ready to be examined.

Dr. Lawson placed a sheet over Kate's legs and went to work.

"Okay, there is no blood yet. That's good. We might have caught it before the real damage was done. The stress from her job and the ambulance ride could have been the cause. The abdominal pain is probably her uterine walls contracting. If so, we can treat that."

"Will the baby be okay?" Castle asked and after a second, "Will Kate be okay?"

"It looks promising. Let's take a look at the ultrasound." She squirted gel onto Kate's stomach and retrieved the wand. Soon a grainy picture emerged. "Would you look at that? You are indeed expecting. You see that little peanut shaped dark spot? That's your baby."

Castle smiled widely. He felt a little guilty, though. Kate is still unconscious and cannot see the life that they have created together. She should be seeing this first or with him.

"I was right about the contractions. The muscles are working overtime at the moment. We will administer Brethine over the course of the day." She turns to Dr. Alexander, "she needs .25mg of terbutaline sulfate every one to six hours until the contractions stop. Three doses max. Monitor her closely. Also keep her on the IV, she will need a lot of fluid. And it wouldn't hurt to give her a low dose of Compazine. This will help keep her nausea at bay and help the side effects of Brethine." She turns back to Castle, "These are all safe for your wife and baby. They will be monitored closely, I assure you. Right now it looks like everything will be fine."

Tears welled up in Castle's eyes, threatening to fall.

"Yeah? It's okay… right? You caught it in time?"

"The baby was in distress, but right now it's heart rate is climbing, slowly but surely. The drug that was given to Kate is helping already. We will keep an eye on them, but it looks like it. They are in good hands, Mr. Castle."

_Them_. That was a word Richard Castle never thought he would hear. Kate is pregnant with his child. This was truly a blessing. Too bad the blessing came from an utterly horrific day.

"And Kate?" He asked hopeful.

"Barring any complications she will be perfect. It's expected that she will be sore for a couple of days." Castle sighed, a sign of relief. "She has been through a lot today, so along with the muscle relaxant we have given her a mild sedative. She needs to rest. She will wake up on her own time; it should be within the next five to ten hours."

"Thank you so much. Hearing this is such a relief!" Castle walked over and shook her hand.

"You are very welcome, Mr. Castle." After reassuring him once more she walked over to the nurses. "It looks like her temp is receding and heart rate going back to normal. The baby too, but if anything happens page me right away."

After she walked out, Castle returned to Kate's side. Again, he took her hand in his, holding on for dear life. He looked down at his wife's face. She looked so peaceful, but underneath the surface he knew everything was going haywire. He leaned over to her forehead a placed a gentle kiss, stopping ever so quickly to inhale her sweet scent. Today was one of those days he appreciated what he had. And he was going to appreciate them for the rest of his life.

"Mr. Castle?" A nurse appeared beside him, "We are going to move your wife to a private room in a couple of minutes. Is there anyone you would like us to call?"

He had forgotten all about the guys at the 12th and his own mother and daughter. They were going to kill him.

"No, no. I will call them. Thank you."

**ooOOoo**

**After this you can read "Quite a Scare" because that is what comes directly afterwards. Or I can add it onto this tomorrow. There is a possibility for more. And by more I mean fluff! So if you want it, you have to tell me. I won't post this as complete yet though.**

**Thanks for the amazing support everyone!**

**Emily**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the false alarm there! This is technically not a new chapter. This is my one-shot Quite a Scare, which is the sequel to this story. **

**Today I reread all of your amazing reviews and decided that I couldn't not finish this. So I am adding this as a filler and the next NEW chapter will be uploaded TONIGHT at some point! Yay, right? I hope you haven't forgotten my little story yet! And I do hope that I pick up some new readers along the way. **

**I just want to say thank you to all my reviewers! Also to everyone who added this to their story alert, favorite story, and favorite author list! You guys are the best! Also, I owe an apology to TomorrowNeverCame... I'm so sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet! I will... I promise! I have nothing to do now that I graduated college and don't have a job yet, lol!**

**Enough of my rambling! I do not own Castle :(**

**oOOoo**

Castle faithfully guarded Kate's bedside, carefully watching her face for any sign of movement. It had been 5 hours since their arrival at the hospital and what a crazy one at that. This ranked number one of the biggest scares of Castle's life, right next to the time Alexis got her appendix taken out. He had been sitting in the same chair the entire time, never letting go of Kate's hand.

Martha and Alexis had stopped by for a couple hours. They kept Castle's spirits up until the sedative would make its way out of Kate's system. When it got to be close to dinner time and Kate was still not awake, they both decided to head home and make dinner. They promised to bring Rick back leftovers so he wouldn't have to suffer through the hospital cafeteria food.

Esposito, Ryan, and Lanie had also stopped by to see how Kate was doing. They, however, could not stay longer than a half hour. All three had to return to work to tie up loose ends on the last case and start on all over again on a new one.

Each visit Rick held back the most important news. Kate was pregnant.

The clock on the wall told Rick it was nearing 10:45pm. Rick was getting worried. Kate's eyes still remained closed. Sometime throughout the day, he had resorted to questioning the nurses every half hour about her condition. Each time they answered 'She will wake up on her own time'. They tried to kick him out when visiting hours had ended, but were unsuccessful. He was, after all, Richard Castle.

Closing in on 11pm, Rick found himself pacing the floor at the foot of the bed. That's when he heard it.

"Mmmm"

Castle's head snapped towards Kate's direction.

"Mmmmm"

He rushed to her side and grasped her hand in both of his. "Kate?" He kissed each of her knuckles, trying to entice her out of sleep.

Kate's head slowly lolled to the side of the bed he was on.

"Kate, sweetheart, wake up. Wake up."

Her eyes finally flickered open, if only for the briefest amount of time.

"Kate," Castle pleaded.

"Castle?" Again her eyes opened. This time for good.

"Oh, Kate! Thank God you are okay." He leaned in to give her a quick, but passionate kiss. They both smiled.

"Where…"

"Bellevue Hospital. Third floor. Room 311."

Kate couldn't help but chuckle. That was her husband after all.

"What happened?" She asked, while checking out all the machines she was hooked up to.

"You don't remember?" Rick was genuinely surprised, his wife never forgets anything.

Kate had bits and pieces floating around in her head, but nothing was making any sense. "Ummm, I recall not feeling well and lying to you about it." She admitted.

"I knew it!"

Kate ignored him and kept going, "We were about to go home, the suspect just confessed. I… I…"

"You fainted. Right there in my arms. I just… I saw your eyes glaze over, you stopped talking midsentence and just fell."

Kate could hear the anguish in his voice. She had never seen him this broken. Sneaking her hand out of his grasp, she made way up to his cheek, gently resting it there, her thumb brushing lightly against the corner of his mouth.

He felt her hand on his cheek and smiled. She always knew exactly what to do to get him to relax, even if it was just a simple touch. He lifted his hand to cover hers.

The next part of the story scared him more than he would like to admit. Even just thinking about what to say made tears slowly well up in his eyes.

Kate immediately noticed, "What? What's wrong?"

"You woke up twice. Once in the interrogation room when the paramedics arrived. The second time in the ambulance. Both times you were disoriented. You fought with the paramedics before they could properly check you. In the ambulance you threw up until you were hyperventilating."

Rick paused after seeing the initial shocked look on her face. He stayed silent until she wrapped her head around the information. She gave him a slight nod to continue.

"They thought you were just really sick with no food or water in your system. That is until we got to the emergency room. You couldn't stay conscious for longer than 5 minutes." Castle paused to gather his thoughts and brush back his tears with the back of his hand. "I don't know how it started because they made me wait in the waiting room. Kate," he grabbed her hand again, staring into her eyes, "I was so scared. I was pacing up and down the hall not knowing what was going on behind closed doors. I didn't know if my wife was going to die in the other room and I didn't have a chance to say goodbye!"

He kissed her hand hard letting his lips linger there for a moment longer. When he saw the look on her face, one of pure alarm and love, he couldn't help but be closer to her.

He stood up from the chair and hovered over her upper body. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

She understood the underlying meaning of those actions and scooted over to the other side of the bed, making room for him. He gently eased in beside her, spooning her side, getting as close as possible before continuing.

"I could have sworn I heard you scream my name a couple of times, and I couldn't do anything! I felt so helpless."

Kate squeezed his hand gently; reassuring him she was right there. Everything was going to be alright.

"Then a nurse ran out calling for me. I didn't know if it was good or bad news until she said you asked for me. I felt the weight being lifted off my shoulders. The relief that I felt was short lived. When I walked into the room and saw you curled up on the bed, sweat dripping off your face, eyes half shut I thought my world was collapsing. I could hear you moaning in pain. I thought you must have called me in here because this was the end." Castle finished, his face soaked with tears. Reliving this moment was harder than he thought.

Kate froze. Her husband thought she was going to die. How could she not remember any of this? Why was he still haunted by this?

Castle caught his breath again and continued, "God… when your eyes drifted up to mine, you looked so scared. I started to reach out to you, but as I did your eyes flew open in pain. You started to scream, I guess, but your body just shut down. For the fourth time I saw the lights go out. You weren't dead, obviously, but I didn't know what was happening. I was screaming, nurses were screaming. Finally the doctor arrived. She went over your symptoms quickly and set a course of action."

Rick paused. He really didn't want to tell Kate this part. After all, everything was fine now. But she would want to know and stop at nothing to get him to tell her. The grip he had on her hand got tighter, if possible.

"You were having a miscarriage."

Kate's heart dropped. Her breath taken away. Tears sprung to her eyes.

There was no way. She wasn't pregnant! She would have known if she were pregnant!

"No," Kate whispered, barely audible for Rick to hear. Her right hand went immediately to her stomach. "No, no, no, this can't be," she sobbed.

Rick had momentarily forgotten she didn't know the good news. He felt miserable for making her feel like she lost the baby.

Her head was now nestled in the nook of his neck, her tears coming down faster and thicker. She kept chanting 'no' into his skin.

"Kate. Kate, honey?"

"No, no, no, no…"

"Kate! You gotta listen!" His index finger found her chin and lifted it so they were eye level. She wouldn't look into his eyes. "Kate, look at me. Look at me."

Her sobs quieted a fraction and she met his eyes, still sniffling.

He swallowed thickly trying to think of the right words to say. Wasn't it the woman who was supposed to break the good news? Not the other way around.

"Sweetheart, don't cry," he started.

She interrupted, "I lost our baby!" Another bout of sobs wracked her body.

He sighed. He can write beautifully crafted novels, but he can't tell his own wife she is pregnant!

"No. No," he said firmly. She stared at him. "The doctor caught it in time. Kate, you are still pregnant. 8 weeks. We are going to have a beautiful baby!"

She started to cry again, but this time he knew they were tears of joy. He could see her radiant smile just before he pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

They stayed that way for awhile. Neither cared to pull away anytime soon.

After a few minutes, Castle let Kate pull away first. He could see the happiness yet hesitation in her eyes. She took both of her hands and ran them down to her stomach, amazed they had created a life in there. After a few seconds of tenderly rubbing her hands around, one of Rick's joined in.

It was Kate who broke the silence first.

"We are going to be parents."

Castle added, "You are going to be an extraordinary mother."

Kate smiled and drew him in for a kiss. When they finally pulled back for air, they were content to just stare down at where their child was growing, a sparkle in their eyes.

**ooOOoo**

**Just hold on a little bit longer! If you want to review and tell me how excited you are, I'm not stopping you! Hahaha!**

**TBC...**


	7. Chapter 7

(I know I shouldn't do this, but I did. I know it's only been a few hours since I published this chapter, but it never got bumped back up to the top, so many of you might not have seen it. I'm sorry for the story alerters, that you will get this chap twice :( On the bright side I do plan on updating today... if I get encouragement. I'm evil, I know.)

**The next installment, as promised… it is still night! Well at least where I am.**

**I hope you enjoy this. It took me awhile to write, but I think it came out quite nicely. I hope I did it justice… after such a long break. ****It's actually fluffy!**

**I do not own Castle.**

**ooOOoo**

The next morning Rick woke up with a crick in his neck courtesy of the overstuffed armchair shoved in the corner of the hospital room.

Rick and Kate both fell asleep cuddled together on the bed. Halfway through the night a very grumpy nurse decided to kick him off because it was against hospital policy. Thankfully Kate did not wake up during their heated conversation.

When Rick checked his watch and noticed what time it was he immediately jumped up and made himself look presentable. He made certain his movements were not loud enough to wake Kate out of her deep slumber. With ten minutes to spare before 9am, Rick sat back down on the chair next to Kate's bedside and took her hand in his. He loved her like this. Peaceful without a care in the world. Her features were smooth without worry or annoyance. She looked happy and that made him extremely happy.

He looked at his watch again and with a kiss to her forehead he ventured towards the door.

"Rick?" Kate mumbled.

Castle stopped abruptly knowing he had been caught. "Go back to sleep," he whispered quickly, hoping she wouldn't notice he was leaving.

"Not so fast, Mr. Castle. Where do you think you are going?" She questioned, trying to sound demanding, but still too exhausted to care.

Rick walked back over to the bed and bent over, whispering in her ear, "That's for me to know and you to find out." She smiled at his words and he placed a chaste kiss below her earlobe. "Just go back to sleep. You will find out soon enough."

She relented and closed her eyes.

He walked swiftly to the nurse's station. There was a surprise to be planned.

Kate had no idea how much time had passed since Rick had left, but if the tiny little kisses brushing against her face and neck were any indication, he was back and wanted her to wake up this time. She waited for a few seconds, waiting for his lips to meet hers, before she opened her eyes. When his lips met hers she took control. Her hands gripped the back of his head, pulling him closer. She took the liberty of running her tongue across his bottom lip begging for more. As always, he complied and opened his mouth for her to explore.

Before the kiss got too heated, Rick pulled away. Kate pouted.

"Don't give me that look, missy. I don't think our visitors would like it very much if they found me on top of you – doing very inappropriate things, I might add – when they walk in," he said in a seductive tone and smirked, before pulling completely away.

"Alexis and Martha?" Kate asked excitedly.

"Nope. They are coming later after Alexis gets out of school. You are going to meet someone new today," he announced giddily, that childish gleam in his eyes.

Kate's shoulders visibly sagged, "But I don't want to meet anyone new today," she said in her own childish voice. "I'm not in the mood."

Rick smiled, trying desperately to keep his secret/surprise a little bit longer. "Oh darling, trust me, you will."

As if on cue, the door opened and the doctor walked in. Kate looked pointedly at Rick and muttered, "I know her."

Dr. Lawson chuckled. "I'm sorry, Kate. Are you expecting someone?" She asked, playing along with Rick's game.

Kate took a deep breath, turning her attention from Castle to the doctor, "Apparently I am meeting someone new today. And this someone," she pointed and Castle, "won't tell me who."

"Well, in that case I will get this examination done as soon as I can." Dr. Lawson smiled and walked towards the bed. Kate Castle definitely had spunk. That's why she and Mr. Castle made such a great pair. "Alright, I just need you to lie back and relax. This is the easy part."

Dr. Lawson took her temperature and blood pressure – which a nurse could have done, but with a high profile patient it was good to be more hands on. She asked a couple more standard questions. All of which Kate's answers were good and normal.

"Now I am just going to check the sensitivity of your abdomen and surrounding areas. It's going to be sore, that's to be expected, but if it's painful you need to tell me, okay?"

Kate just nodded and sucked in a breath.

"I need you to breathe normally though," Dr. Lawson joked.

The doctor's comment got Kate to laugh and loosen up.

"Good. You are doing great. Just relax." Dr. Lawson tentatively placed her fingertips just below Kate's ribs and pressed down gently, then harder. Slowly she made her way down one side and up the other.

So far Kate wasn't experiencing any pain, but it was slightly uncomfortable. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, but her breathing even.

Meanwhile Castle sat next to the bed watching Kate's face intently, searching for any signs of pain.

"Kate, do you feel any pain here?" The doctor asked, pressing her fingers into the flesh right near Kate's hip.

"No, just a little tender."

"What about here?"

Just as she pressed right under Kate's belly button Kate jolted forward. "Ahhhh…" she exhaled. Rick stood up quickly, trying to assess Kate's pain and gently guiding her back down to the bed. "Sorry, yes it hurts, but I guess I just didn't expect it to." She winced.

"I need to keep going. Tell me if it gets worse," she told Kate, then directed her next sentence towards Rick in a quieter voice, "If so, plans might change."

He nodded and reached for Kate's hand again. She looked at him, worry in her eyes, but smiling meekly. He kept her gaze and mouthed, "You okay?" She nodded before closing her eyes for the rest of the test.

Nothing else unexpected happened.

"Alright, all done. Kate, you did fantastic. It looks like you are on the right track. I want to do an internal exam, but not for another week or so… unless the situation changes."

Kate released a sigh of relief. Both Rick and Dr. Lawson chuckled.

They chatted idly for a few moments before there was a knock at the door.

"Is this my mystery guest?" Kate asked dryly.

Dr. Lawson opened the door and answered, "I believe it is!"

A couple of nurses entered the room and Kate looked confused. Rick crossed over to the other side of the bed to block Kate's view of the door. "I always tell you to keep you mind wide open and do you listen?" He paused and smiled. "Nooooo!"

"What?" Kate was really confused now.

"Did I ever say this 'new person' was outside this hospital room? Because I'm pretty sure this 'new person' has been here the whole time. You just haven't been properly introduced to him or her yet." He took her hand again, but this time he placed both on her stomach.

Kate sat there the whole time, a look of disbelief and surprise on her face. Finally a smile blossomed and tears gathered in her eyes. "Really?"

"Really really!" He kissed her smiling face once, twice, three times before continuing. "Are you ready to meet our child?" Kate nodded.

The door opened again and both Kate and Rick watched while Dr. Lawson wheeled in the ultrasound machine. Kate hastily wiped away the tears and scooted over slightly so Rick could sit next to her on the bed. They waited nervously while everyone continued the preparations.

"Now Kate," the doctor started, "from the results of the pressure test we know this might cause you a bit of discomfort, but I know you are a trooper. Plus, I know you want to see your baby."

"Yes. Yes, of course I do!" Kate admitted elatedly.

"Let's just pull up your shirt… There we go. Just relax… and the gel is going to be cold," Dr. Lawson stated as she gently rubbed the gel over Kate's stomach. "Michael, can you please turn on the monitor?"

Rick had never seen Kate so on the edge of her seat, figuratively speaking, before. He stared at her as she stared at the flickering screen. It was unfair to Kate, but he had already seen the baby yesterday. He knew what it looked like, but Kate didn't. He saw her eyes sparkle more and more as the seconds wore on. He squeezed her hand to assure her he was there and everything was still okay.

Dr. Lawson continued to move the wand back and fourth trying to find the perfect view.

Kate stared at the screen. She had never been so nervous in her life. She had never been so extremely ecstatic in her whole life. Right now life was perfect, she had a wonderful husband – and his family – and now she couldn't wait to meet their little Castle baby.

"Aannndddd, the moment of truth." All of a sudden the screen stilled. "Do you see the grayish white blob in the middle? It kinda looks like a peanut or jelly bean. That's your baby."

Kate was awestruck. There on the little screen was her baby… her perfect baby. Her eyes softened and her mouth parted in amazement. She and Rick had created this beautiful life.

Her head snapped quickly to Rick's. He was smiling, really smiling.

"Rick…" she tried, not finding any words to describe the feeling.

"I know… I know, sweetheart, I know," he whispered, and reached up to wipe away the tears she didn't know were flowing down her face.

She gave him the most beautiful, teary-eyed smile he had ever seen. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. They both silently said 'I love you' through the emotion in their eyes before turning back to the monitor.

They hadn't noticed until now that Michael had also turned on the sound.

A whooshing sound filled the room and once again both Castle's were in a trance.

"During the 8th week the baby's features start to develop and define… eyelids, nose, lips. The fingers start to grow too. You can actually see that it's more than just a blob. It is starting to look like a baby, with its head and limbs. The baby is still pretty tiny. Actually this little one is approximately 1.4 inches."

"Is that normal?" Kate asked.

"It's well within the standards, but now that you are aware of you pregnancy you need to make sure you are eating properly. Since at the moment you are a high risk pregnancy, we will be monitoring you more closely."

"Don't worry, doctor, she will be eating lots!" Rick blurted, earning a glare from Kate.

"I will be more careful, that's for sure," Kate added. "Shouldn't we be able to hear the heartbeat?" She asked worriedly.

"Usually we can start to hear the heartbeat between weeks 9 and 12. Occasionally we can hear it before, but that is rare. Your little tyke is perfectly healthy right now. You can relax," Dr. Lawson finished.

"Can we get pictures?" Rick exclaimed.

"Of course. I will print multiple. I will leave you two alone for a moment though. Michael will come back in later with the pictures." She wiped off the extra gel and left the room, the ultrasound video still playing.

Rick could see Kate still staring at the monitor, her mouth still wide open.

"It's amazing." She surprised him.

"It sure is. Amazing, beautiful, wonderful, marvelous, stunning, breathtaking, remarkable, extraordinary," he responded, giving her a knowing smile.

She returned his smile and leaned in for a kiss filled with raw, shining emotions.

"Thank you, Rick."

**ooOOoo**

**The way Rick surprised Kate with the ultrasound (meeting someone new) was definitely not planned. It surprised me when I was writing, and I fell in love with it. I can totally see him doing that in the show. I really hope their emotions spoke loudly to you all. I really try to infuse that into my writing as much as possible. **

**Okay, I'm done. Thank you for reading!**

**I hope you do take the time to review **

**TBC…**


	8. Chapter 8

**I lied. Yes, it took me a bit to flush out this chapter... and it's so short too! This is un-beta'd and not really edited either :/ If there are glaring mistakes please let me know. (EDIT: I found some blaring mistakes, so I fixed them... and changed the last sentence a bit.)**

**I do not own Castle :(**

**ooOOoo**

"Look you can almost see his cute little nose," Rick gushed to Kate as they both looked at the slew of ultrasound pictures. The baby was so tiny, but it was developing and that was a marvelous thing.

Kate looked over to Rick, he was only paying attention to the little one in the picture. "Really, Castle? Already hoping it's a boy?" She smirked.

"Well… I, uh… I guess it just slipped out." He was honest about his confession, but in his heart he really wanted a son. Someone to play catch with… even if he had to learn to throw and catch at the same time as the boy. "I mean, even though I do have Fortune Tellers in my family tree, it's not like I can sense that it's going to be a boy. I do want one though." He paused and then on a second thought, "How cool would it be… Rick Jr., he can be our little RJ!"

"No way."

"Okay, well we can come up with more names. We've got plenty of time."

"Did you ever think that I might not want a boy?" Kate teased. "What if I want a girl?" She had thought about it before many, many times. A little girl that she could play dress up with and have tea parties. Kate smiled at the thought. Even though she has Alexis, she never got to do the Mommy/Daughter things with her when Alexis was young. Sure they go out shopping and have Chick Flick nights now, but it's not the same.

"I'm perfectly happy with having another daughter. Alexis was so adorable growing up." Unbeknownst to both Rick and Kate, Alexis and Martha chose this exact time to quietly sneak into the room. Rick just bent down closer to Kate and in a hushed tone continued, "But just so you know, if it's a girl then we have to have another. I need a boy at some point!"

"Don't push it, buster."

Alexis and Martha just stood solitaire near the door; both mouths agape. It wasn't until Martha dropped her purse in surprise that Kate and Rick noticed they had arrived. Everyone was now just staring at each other. No words were formed, no congratulations were issued, just pure shock.

This was not how they had planned to spread the news.

Alexis was the first to move. She slowly stepped forward until she hit the edge of Kate's bed. "Kate, are- are you pregnant?" Her question started out hesitant, but ended enthusiastically.

Kate nodded, not taking her eyes off the girl. "Yes, there is going to be a new member added to the Castle family."

"Or two!" Rick added.

"Castle!"

"How long? I mean… how far?"

Kate smiled at her step daughter's curiosity. "8 weeks."

"And you just found out?"

Kate and Rick both nodded.

Suddenly all the hesitancy vanished, "This is great! I'm so excited!" Alexis screamed. "I'm going to have a little brother or sister. Granted he or she will be a lot younger, but I will be able to help all the time!" After she finished she jumped into Kate's arms.

Kate winced from the girl's sudden response, but did not let go.

"Alexis, be careful," Rick stepped in. He didn't want to see Kate in anymore pain. Ever.

Alexis backed away gently, but quickly. "Oh, sorry." She looked hurt and apologetic for her actions.

Kate felt her heartstrings tug at the way Alexis looked. "Rick, it's fine. She is not going to hurt me."

"I know, I just-"

Kate just turned back to Alexis and grabbed her hand, tugging her to sit beside her on the bed, essentially cutting Rick off. "Alexis, sweetheart, I know that you are probably much too old for sibling jealously, but I want you to know that I love you so much, just as much as I will love this baby. Nothing will ever change that. Okay?"

Alexis nodded, her eyes not meeting Kate's though.

"And even though I didn't give birth to you, I still think of you as my own daughter," Kate finished.

Kate's words hit Alexis deeply and she raised her head to look at Kate. "Really?" Alexis never had anyone say such nice things to her before. She loved Kate and had felt the same way for awhile. Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes.

"Of course."

For a moment there was silence until Alexis spoke up again in a happier tone. "Does this mean I can call you Mom?"

Kate was definitely not expecting that kind of reaction and was immediately taken aback. She cupped the girl's cheeks in both hands, "Only if you want to."

Alexis smiled brightly and tears fell down her face. "I love you, Mom," she whispered.

Now it's Kate's turn for tears to fall. "I love you too, Alexis," she responded and drew Alexis in for a big hug. As Alexis buried her face in Kate's neck, Kate felt a hand rest on her shoulder. It's Rick, he was also smiling with tear tracks down his face.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Alexis mumbled.

Martha, stood off to the side and took in her family's reactions. When Rick finally looked over to her with a goofy smile on his face she walked up to him and took him into her arms, whispering words of congratulations and love into his ear.

**ooOOoo**

**Soooo, what did you think?**

**I'm not quite sure where I am going to go from here. If you have suggestions, let me know! Or I might just write an epilogue and call it a day...**

**Review and make my day shiny ;)**

**TBC...**


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